Firearm.



J. C. WHITE.

PIRBARM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.14, 1907.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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J. C. WHITE.

PIREARM.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 14. 1907.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STAT/,Es PATENT' oFFroE.

JOSEPH C. WHITE, OF CHEII'JSEA,` MASSACHUSETTS., ASSIG-NOB; BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WHITE-MERRILL COMPANY, OF'BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

vCORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Hannan.

Patented Feb. 1, 1913.

' Application led August 14, 1907. Serial No. 888,448.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. WHITE, of Chelsea,fin the county of Suolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Firearm, of `which the following is a specification-' i i My invention relates to automatic tirearms, that is, firearms which when tired act automatically to open the breech and uin some cases also to eject the shell of a tired `cartridge and to feed a fresh cartridge into position in the breech of the barrel.

Experience has taught that uniformity of charge in cartridges used in automatic firearms is not to be had. Whether this is due to careless workmanship or to something inherent in the manufacture of cartridges I am not aware, but the factA remains that an excess charge in cartridges is very common and may result in rendering the firearm inoperative and in injury to the operator. At ythe same time a chargeV less 4than normal would also tend to render the whichwill operate equally well under variations of charge.

To these ends my invention consists is so constructing the lirearm 'that the pressure of the gases in the barrel acts to prevent the opening of the breech block or receiver until after the pressure in the barrel has fallen to the desired point, or when the piece is fired'the pressure in the barrel acts to pre vent the opening of the receiver or breech block until the pressure in the barrel has fallen to such a relatively low point that the breech blockA or receiver will be actuated properly and without danger by that relatively loW pressure. In some cases the parts maybe adjusted so that the breech block or receiver' is locked against opening until the pressure is entirelyexhausted so long as it is freed. before energy of .the recoil is eX- hausted.

The main feat-ure of my invention is that the opening of the breech block orreceiver is retarded by the pressure of the gases in for its object to obviate moves with andV preferably 'forms part of Y' the breech block or receiver.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of a tirearm embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation on anenlarged scale of the hammer and the trigger mechanism detached. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 as viewed from the left of that figure with the addition of the receiver which is shown in section on a vertical plane through the pivot pin of trigger ela. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views of modiications.

Having reference to the drawings, A is the frame of my improved rearm, B is the barrel, and C the receiver.- At its rear end the barrel B is reduced and threaded to screw into a threaded socket in the frame A so that it is rigidly fixed to the frame; The receiver C is connected with the frame A so as to slide back and forth thereon in the usual manner so far as its mere movements with relation to the frame A are concerned. Within receiver C is slidably mounted a breech block D also referred to .as-the breech opening control member. On the receiver C is mounted a hammer E coperating with the tiring pin F mounted in the breech block D. The tiring pin F is normally held retracted by a spring f and its movements in the breech block D are limited by a pin f which also serves to hold the breech block D in place within the receiver with provision for limited relative movement sufficient to carry the inner end of the breech block into and out of contact with the hub of the hammer E. Mounted in the forward end of the breech block D is a shell extractor G. The hammer E on its under side is made with a shoulder e to coperatewith an'abutment a on frame A. On one of its side faces the hammer E is made with two lugs e and e2 both of which coperate lwith a lug e8 forming part of a sear e4. The sear c4 at one end is made with a socket e5 to receive lug e projecting from a rocker e7 having a trunnion e8 journaled in one of the side walls of the receiver C as shownV in Fig. 3. The rocker 67 is made also with a hook 69 cooperating with a shoulder 61 on a dog 611. The dog 611 is made with a trunnion 612 pivoted in the trigger 613 which in turn is 'g pivoted at 612 to the frame A. The hub of the dog 611 is made with a socket 615 lto receive one end o'f a spring 613 the other end of which bears against the frame A so that the free end of 4d`og'611 is held against the rocker .62. The sear 63 is made with a socket 612 to receive one end of a spring 613, the other end of which bears against an abutment (not shown) on receiver -C so .that the tendency of spring 618 is to thrust the sear 6'1 to the left 4in Fig. 2 so as tohold the hook 6*.of rocker 67 in engagement with the shoulder 61' of the dog 611, the Sear 63 being mounted to slide in ways within vthe receiver C so that it can move'endwise toward and from hammer E. In Fig. 2 the hammer is shown in its .lowest or fired position, and it will be clear that when it is raised the lug 6 will be carried above the lug 63, and spring 6.12 will then shift the sear 64 to the left in Fig. 2 so as to bring the lug 63 under the lug 6. The

` hammer E being then freed the usual hammer spring (not shown) will swing the hammer forward s o as to bring the ,lug 6 down upon the top of the lug 63'and the latter will hold the hammer in its half cocked position. The two lugs 6 and 63 are hook shaped as shown so that when thus brought into engagement pressure on vtrigger 613 can not disengageI them. It will also be`clear that if hammer E is thrown farther back into its ful1`cocked position lug 6 will be swung away from lug 63 and as soon as the lug 62 engages the lug 63, the beveled surface 620. on lug 62 by engaglement with lug 63,

will' shift the sear 61 to 1; e right as the. lug

62 passes the lug 63. When the lug 62 is -above or past the lug 63, spring 612shifts from beneath the lug I62 thus freeing the hammer and firing'the piece.

lWhen the piece is fired the back pressure of the gases in barrel B forces the shell w of thev cartridge rearwardly against vbreech block D and the latter in turn is forced against the hub'of hammer E. This brings .the pressure upon pin 621 but rearward movement of the'receiver which carries pin 621 is prevented by the engagement of the shoulder 6 on hammer E with the abutment aon frame A, thel frictional Contact between breech block D and the'hub ofthe hammer.

E being sufficient to overcome the tendency of the hammer E to rotate on pin 6.21 due to the engagement-of the shoulder 6 with abutment a until the .gas pressure on the breech vblock is' reduced 'to the desired .point or enlreceiver C are extended forward as shown by dotted-lines in Fig. 1 at 6 and connected by the yoke C at their forward ends, the yoke being chambered to receive the spring I-I.

The cartridges are stored in the usual manner within the hollow handle a' and each time receiver C moves to the right in Fig. 1, extractor G draws-the shell w from barrel B against an abutment a2 on thel frame A so that the shell is discharged from the piece. Then, as Vreceiver C returns to breech block D pushes forward the topmost cartridge and forces the latter into barrel- B. The 'cartridges within the hollow handle a aresupported in the usual fashion by a spring a3.

In Fig. 4 II have shown a breech block D which differs from that shown in Fig. 1 only in that a 'more or. less. pronounced shoulder d is provided to coperat'e with a more or lesspronounced shoulder 622 on the hammer E.

In Fig. the hammerE carries a-latch 623 pivoted at 624 and having an arm 625 to be engaged by the breech block D. The latch 623 is made with a cam shaped shoulder 623 to coperatefwith a cam shaped shoul-y der d on breech block D. In the operae tion of 'this form of my invention the back pressure of the shell a: shifts the breech block D rearwardly, and by the engagement of the latter with'the arm 625 the shoulder tends a pine5 that connects lever 63 with the vits closed position, the alvance end of .63 made with a slot 64 through which e-X- v receiver At its lfront end the lever c3 is loperates as follows: AThe back pressure of,

the cartridge shell causes the shell to-engage the member c7 With sol-much friction that it '-is held against turninguon its trunnions 08 until the pressure of the gases has been diss 'i sipated,vor fallen to the desired point. ThisV friction is thenso reduced that the tend ency of receiver C to travel rearwardly and the engagement of shoulder e and abutment -0i acts to turn member c7 on its trunnions 0S,Y

and in so doing lower the pivot c and elevate the shoulder c, the lever c3 rocking on thepin c5V as a fulcrum. As soon asthe shoulder@ `is raised above the abutmenta the receiver C is free and completes 1tsrearward movement, and then returns to its for- Ward position again. A spring o9 connectedl at one end to the pivot o6 and at its other end to pin c5 serves to return the member c7 and lever 03 to the position shown.

4 It Will be clear from the above that the action of the receiver under the influence ot'- the pressure or recoil is determined by the' ,effective pressure of the control member opthis respect the e ect of the pressure or recoil on the receiver maybe varied as 'desired. It will also-be .clear that in my firearm the barrel can be and 4preferably is fixed rigidly to the frame thus obviating thel objections to a movable barrel; that Whatever may be the pressure exerted by the charge on' the control member the receiver is retarded in its operation until that pressure is ceiver and acted upon bythe pressure of the' 'gases in the barr-elwhen the piece is tired to -momentarily locli: `the receiver against opening.

2. AIn a firearm of the character described -the combination of a frame; a movable receiver Qn said frame; and means mounted on thereceiverandacted upon bythe pressure of' the gases in the barrel When the lpiece is fired to momentarilylock the re;-

ceiver against opening. y' 4 ,3. In a rearm ot'V the character described the combination of a frame; a.' longitudinally movable receiver on said frame; and a breech-opening control member mounted on the receiver and .acted upon bythe pressure of the gases in the barrel to momentarily lock the receiver against opening.

4. In a firearm of the character described the combination of a frame; a longitudinally movable receiver on said frame; means to lock the receiver to the frame; and a breech-opening control member mounted on the receiver andacted upon by the pressure of the gases in the barrel to control said locking means.

5. In a-firearm in combination a frame; a movable receiver on said frame; a hammer mounted on the receiver; an abutment `on the trame cooperating With the hammer; and a breech-opening Ycontrol n'iemberV mounted on the receiver and acted upon Vby the back pressure of the gases in the barrel to lock the hammer against the abutment on the frame and thereby retard the breechopening operation of said control member.

6. In a rearm in combination a frame; a movable receiver on said frame; a hammer mountedon the receiver; an abutment'on 'the frame coperatn-g with the hammer; a

breech-opening control member mounted on the receiver and acted upon by the back pressure of the gases in the barrel to lock the hammer against the abutment on the frame and thereby retard the breech-opening operation of saidcontrol member; and a trigger on the frame to operate the hammer.

. 7. In a firearm in combination a frame; a

movable receiver on said' frame; a hammer mounted on the receiver and having a shoulder; .an abutment on the frame coperating with the shoulder on the hammer; and a member movably mounted on the receiver and acted upon bythe back pressure of the gases in the barrelV to engage the hammer and momentarily lock the latter against the abutment on the frame and thereby retard the breech-opening 4'operation of ythe said control'member. v

8. -Ina rearm in combination a frame; a movable receiveron said frame; a hammer mounted on' the receiver and having a shoulder; an abutment on the frame cooperating with4 the shoulder on th'ehammer; and a breechopening control member 4 movably mounted on the receiver and acted -upon by the back pressureof the gases inthe barrel to frictionally engage the hammerfan'd mo-` mentarily hold the llatter against the. abutment on the frame and thereby retard lthe breech-.opening operation of said controlmember.

`mounted on the receiver; an a the frame cooperating with the hammer;fa'

lll

breech-opening control member monfed on the receiver and acted upon by the 'ba-ek the sear. pressure of the gases in the barrell tovlock the hammer against the abutmenton the frame and retard the breech-opening operation of saidv control member; a' Sear coperating with the hammer;l Aand a trigger mounted on the frame and connecfed. with' JOSEPH WHITE Witnesses:

G. A. ROCKWELL, H. C. BoWsER. 

